Day 3

Today was spend mostly on a Bus. Hoorah! My first taste of South American travel. We left Courtney's apartment around 7 only to get to the bus station and find that we had about 3 hours to kill. We headed over to the Mariscal (the touristy spot) and posted up at the Magic Bean for some breakfast and jugos (juice). We hung out for a while and then headed over to the bus station and spend the next 6 hours on a hot bus. It was a beautiful drive through jungle-y forests. The towns we passed were depressing, though. Poverty is a harsh reality for most inhabitants of this country. The air quality here is absolutely abhorrent and most of the trip was spent inhaling exhaust. I wish I could have slept on the bus, but its very different than an airplane. Much more turbulent and rocky. We finally made it to Atacames around 4 or so. Fantastically beautiful. A black sand beach with a rain forest backdrop. We took a little motorized cart (essentially a two seater bench strapped on the front of a moped) from the bus station to the condo. I was so pleasantly surprised to see that our condo was literally right on the beach. I'm talkin' balcony. sand. water. We instantly changed into our bathing suits and utilized the remaining sunlight to splash around in the waves. Apparently you can still get sunburned here, even up until sunset. haha. It was gloomy, and almost dark, but the water felt great, probably about 68-70 degrees. It was surreal to see all the lights on the shore gradually turn on. Like watching stars emerge at twilight. After our swim, we got dressed and walked down the beach a bit to a hotel which had a nice restaurant. I had this really tasty grilled chicken with mushroom sauce. I tried to order a Cuba Libre, but I accidentally said "Te quiero" instead of "Quires" which came out as "I love you, Cuba Libre." Thankfully the server got my drift.

Tomorrow will be spend tanning and swimming.
Yay! It's so amazing here!

Day 2

Today was pretty mellow. We went to the this little cafe near Courtney's work. I had trouble ordering. I wanted to try a Humita and a tamale, but trouble arose and I ended up ordering a sandwich as well. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to be eating. The juice here is amazing! Jugo de Pina is my new favorite. They have this stuff called Aji, and its a lot like salsa. it's usually orange, however, and very watery and spicy.

After lunch we walked to the supermarket and got some bottled water and a BAG of eggs. haha yes, a bag. We also took a stroll through the market and picked out the strangest looking fruit we could find. I got this one spikey yellow fruit which tasted similar to a Kiwi. It had small edible seeds that give the fruit a crunch. Sensational. I also got these weird looking tubes of fruit that are filled with gooey pomagranite-like seeds, but taste like a tomato. I didn't like that one so much. Theo and I lounged around most of the day, took a siesta and acclimated ourselves to the altitude.

We went to the tourist district for some Indian food for dinner. Yummy, but DAMN was it spicy. We walked around the Plaza Foch for a bit and had a drink at this really cool bar that looked like a very colorful house. The crappy part was that, as it mainly caters to tourists, the drinks were really expensive and we ended up paying $6 for a glass of wine. bah! After that we moseied on over to a Karaoke bar that only had about 17 songs in english. We got some beers (3 pilsener grande for $4, much better deal) and sang some songs. I sang "Don't Speak" by No Doubt, Theo sang that one song by Blind Mellon. And Connor sang "Zombie" by the Cranberries. It was great fun.

Tomorrow we head to Atacames Beach where Courtney's friend owns a beach front condo. Thanks Courtney for hooking it up!

Day 1

We flew into Ecuador today! Theo and I woke up at 6 in the am to get to LAX by 8, boarded our plane at 11:45am and arrived in Quito at 11:15pm. The altitude sickness immediately got me, despite taking those altitude sickness pills. I puked the second I set foot in the airport. Public vomiting, not fun. Other than that, the trip was delightful. Theo and I watched a few episodes of Always Sunny in Philadelphia and East Bound and Down. Funny shit. We also cuddled and napped. Courtney's roommate, Ashley, picked us up at the airport because Connor and Courtney's flight got delayed and they wouldn't be coming home till later. Courtney's place is sooo niice! Its really big and it has a great view of the city and mountains. Theo and I are sharing the master bedroom that is currently empty. We have our own bathroom and shower but we have to share a twin bed that seems to be extra skinny. As of yet, neither of us have fallen off.

And So It Begins!

After two months of planning, researching and saving I will finally be boarding a plane tomorrow to begin my 10 week journey through South America! I can't imagine what the next ten weeks have to throw at me. I imagine myself going through an entire range of emotions, scenarios and situations, and hopefully reacting accordingly. I'm sure there will be tumbles, stumbles and fumbles, especially when it comes to language and cultural interface. But there will also be amazing views, hues and booze. I'm most excited for the scenery (snowy volcanoes, lush forests, rocky beaches, ruins), the animals (penguins, llamas, SLOTHS!) and the cultures (Tango, markets, musica folklorica, Pisco, ayahuasca).

I think I have everything packed. I had to downsize my clothes load and I guess I'll just have to deal with the things I can bring. Its going to be kinda strange wearing the same 3 outfits for the next 10 weeks. I need selection!

EEEEH I'm so giddy right now, I can't even write! I don't even know what to say!